No brainer

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

No brainer describes an obvious, easy decision requiring little thought; in decision-making contexts, it highlights clarity, simplicity, or undeniable logic, contrasting with complex or ambiguous choices.

Detailed Definition
No brainer means an obvious choice or decision requiring little thought. In poetry, the idiom can introduce a modern, conversational tone into moments of judgement, especially where a speaker assumes that the right action is self-evident. It may be used sincerely for clarity, or ironically when the supposedly simple decision turns out to be morally complex. The phrase is useful for poems about social pressure, common sense, instinct, and the gap between quick certainty and deeper reflection.
Example
Example in poetry:
A comic poem might say choosing kindness over spite is a no brainer, though the fool chooses spite; In a school poem, taking shelter from hail is a no brainer even for the proudest boy; The phrase means an obvious and easy decision; A poet can use it in modern informal voice.
Additional Notes
No brainer means an obvious, easy decision requiring little thought. In poetry, it can be useful in contemporary speech, satire, or comic monologue, especially where a speaker treats a morally complex issue as simple. The phrase is deliberately informal and slightly crude in its dismissal of thinking. Students should ask whether the decision truly is obvious or whether the idiom reveals impatience, bias, or social pressure.
Also Known As
obvious
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